


THE PLAINS 



OP 



LONG ISLAND. 



Br X . 
WINSLOW C/WATSON. 



COPYRIGHT SECURED, 




^ ALBANY: 

PRINTED BY C. VAN BENTHUYSEN. 
1860. 



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■L g V/3 



THE PLAINS OF LONG ISLAND. 

[From the Transactions of the New York State Agricultural Society, 1859.] 

The subject of the waste lands of Long Island has, for several years, 
engaged my earnest attention. Curiosity first induced me to visit the 
region, that I might examine with my own eyes, a territory which seemed 
to be consigned by public sentiment to desolation, and to be regarded as 
valueless for the purposes of husbandry. I was unable to perceive any 
sufficient reason why even a barren desert of sands, so contiguous to the 
best n-arket on the continent, could not be profitably cultivated. I waa 
naturally forced to contrast such an aspect in our own country, with the 
efforts of Flemish industry, which could wrest from the dominion of the 
ocean a naked sand beach, and convert it into the garden of Europe. The 
parallel was not grateful to my national pride. More than one careful 
examination of this district, in reference to its geological structure, agri- 
cultural capabilities, and local advantages, have confirmed the original 
impression, that no natural impediments exist, to the successful culture of 
these plains. A strange and inscrutable popular delusion seems to prevail 
very generally on this subject. Hereditary opinions seem to have taken 
singular possession of the public mind. These opinions have been probably 
adopted and been cherished without reflection, and without examination of 
facts, which are everywhere disclosed on the island. Historians of Long 
Island have assumed the same conclusions, and in asserting and difi"using 
them, have exerted a most injurious influence upon private interests and 
general progress. So decided have been these views, that until recent 
intelligent investigation had changed the policy, portions of these lands 
were deemed so utterly worthless, as not to be considered worthy of being 
placed on the grand list. 

I might distrust the propriety of a stranger meddling with this local 
question, were it not that my views have been so fully sustained and forti- 
fied by the decided, opinions of General Dix, expressed in his recent 
admirable address before the State Society. I have no possible interest 
in these lands, and can therefore speak with more freedom and impartiality. 
The facts and results upon which are based my convictions, I have collected 
with great care and vigilence, as well by personal investigations as from 
conversations with intelligent gentlemen, who are familiar with the subject. 
Among the numerous persons to whom I am under obligations, I may 
particularly refer to the Rev. E. M. Johnson, of Brooklyn, whose clear 
memory, in a green and vigorous age, enables him to trace the progress of 



the island for nearly half a century ; to Mr. Harold, the intelligent secre- 
tary of the Queens County Society, and to Mr. Bridger, of North Islip, who 
combines with careful observation much practical experience in the culti- 
vation of the plains. I should violate my sense of justice, were I not to 
refer especially to the services and efforts of Doct. Edgar F. Peck, of 
Brooklyn. From this gentleman, who for fifteen years has strenuously 
combatted the deepest prejudices and the most unyielding opposition, in 
his labors for the development of these lands, I have received the most 
important aid and information. I do not hesitate, in this connection, to 
adopt the words of an eminent gentlemen, who remarked to me : " If these 
plain lands are reclaimed and brought into successful culture, the result 
must be attributed to the zeal and intelligence of Dr. Peck, more than to 
any other cause." The convictions of Dr. Peck, as to the qualities of these 
lands, were derived from personal investigation, commenced in 1841, and 
subsequent results have fully confirmed the views then formed. 

Long Island combines, perhaps, more peculiar and decided advantages 
for residence, than any other district of our widely-extended territory. 
The Gulf stream, approaching near to its coast, imparts to the climate a 
delightful temperature, that exempts it from the rigors incident to a north- 
ern latitude ; surrounded by the ocean, it rarely suffers from intense heat 
or droughts ; it is almost under the shadow of the towers of New York, 
and enjoys every facility of access to its market. Under such circum- 
stances, the Island should exhibit the aspect of one prolonged cultivated 
farm, and orchard, and garden, smiling throughout its whole area, in that 
exuberance of beauty and culture, which so eminently mark some sections 
of its territory. These great and marked advantages early attracted the 
attention of the emigrant, and hence, for more than two centuries. Long 
Island has been regarded, not only by the partiality of its own people, but 
by the public verdict and the voice of the traveler and historian, as " The 
garden of America." This reputation, however, attaches to the island 
from the aspect of a narrow margin along the north and south shore, and 
small districts upon the eastern and western extremities. A very large 
proportion of the interior has been abandoned to neglect, and is at this 
day in a more desolate state, than it presented in its primitive condition, 
for the stately native forest has given place to the scrubby oak and to 
coarse and worthless vegetation. 

I can the most readily explain and illustrate my views, by presenting a 
rapid sketch of the physical arrangement of the island, its natural capa- 
cities, and its existing condition. The formation of Long Island, in its 
physical and geological arrangements, is remarkable, and without any 
parallel. It is about, one hundred miles in length, from east to west, with 
a general width ranging from eight to twelve miles. It is divided into 
nearly equal sections, by an elevated range of land, which traA'erses it 
longitudinally. This ridge subsides into the plain at the east, and in the 
vicinity of Brooklyn is broken into abrupt heights. Long Island presents 
no analogy to any adjacent territory, but in its natural arrangement is 



peculiar and distinct. It is proper I should state, that my explorations 
were chiefly limited to the slope extending from the ridge to the ocean on 
the south, and to the western portion of the island. This range embraces 
that section of the territory to which my investigations were particularly 
directed, and afforded me, in the cultivated districts, the data I required 
for contrasting the soil of the plains with the fertile farms. 

GrEOLOGY. — The geological structure of Long Island discloses a remark- 
able similarity throughout its whole extent, which is rarely if ever found 
in an equal area of territory. The ingredients of the soil, in every section 
that I have been able to examine, and the same fact, I was assured on the 
most reliable authority, exists in every part of the island, exhibits the 
most singular uniformity. In these respects, and in most of its physical 
features. Long Island presents a peculiar arrangement that has no analogy 
to any other district within my knowledge, and indeed distinguishes it from 
all others. That it is alluvial, and of recent formation, there exists every 
proof. In my personal explorations, I saw no rocks in site, but perceive 
that geological authors refer to their appearance near Hurlgate and at 
Hallett's Cove. These doubtless reveal the croppings-out of the rock of 
the adjacent mainland. Huge boulders are scattered copiously in the soil 
at Brooklyn, and in other localities, but upon the plains scarcely a stone 
occurs over the size of a large pebble. The basis of the entire island 
appears to be a formation of large pebbles, worn and rounded by attrition. 
On this foundation reposes a substratum of small pebbles mingled with 
the superficial soil. Above this substratum occurs the soil of the island, 
ranging in depth from one foot to three feet, and it is a singular circum- 
stance, which mai'ks the anomalous arrangement of the whole island, that 
unlike every other territory, the soil is the thinnest and least fertile in 
depressions, than upon the elevated parts of the surface. The elements of 
this surface soil are as nearly as possible identical in every part of the 
island, but varying to some extent in its combinations. In some districts, 
where clay predominates, it may be termed a clayey-loam ; in others, silex 
is the most conspicuous ingredient, when the soil becomes a sandy-loam. 
In some limited sections of the island, localities of pure sand are found, 
but through the center of the island, and particularly on the plains, I saw 
no appearance of a soil of that character. The greatest prevalence of 
sand, and the lightest soil I examined, was on the north side of the ridge, 
in the town of Smithtown ; and the next, most assimilating to this, was in 
the Happaugh valley, in the same town. Both of these localities are upon 
farms which have been cultivated for generations. 

The submergence of the island at some period is demonstrated by 
numerous circumstances. The gravel formation I have just alluded to, is 
a sufficient proof. Mr. Thompson, the historian, speaks of fossil remains 
being exhumed in digging wells, and the marine shell, discovered in the 
beds of the " Dry rivers," can be traced to no other cause. Possibly the 
foundations of the island may have been upheaved by some natural con- 
vulsion, but I have not scope to pursue this enquiry, and can only assume 



the obvious fact, that the soil of the island is formed by a detritus, either 
raised from the bed of the sea, or cast upon the pebbly beach by the waters 
of the Hudson and the streams of Connecticut. The process by which the 
island may have been formed by this accretion, can at this day be con- 
stantly traced upon the sand reefs, which Providence has caused to be 
thrown up along the southern coast of the island, forming a vast natural 
breakwater, to which the low shore of the island owes its only protection 
from the surges of the ocean. The sea-sands first accumulate ; upon these 
spring the coarse aquatic grasses, and these, in the memory of man, are 
succeeded by a nutritious vegetation. Such may have been the operations 
of nature, by which the uniform soil I have described was gradually spread 
like a mantle over the surface of the island. I was informed of a singular 
geological formation, which I was not able, however, to examine. This is 
a horizontal stratum of soil, about half a mile wide, ranging in a course 
northeast and southwest, through parts of the towns of Oyster Bay and 
Hempstead, and from its peculiar color, known as the "Red ground." It 
is enclosed on the west by a black earth, and on the east by the prevailing 
yellow soil. This red stratum is said to be remarkably fertile. 

It is not necessary to invoke the aid of science, to determine the singular 
identity of the elements of the soil throughout the whole island. I col- 
lected specimens from the cultivated farms near Brooklyn, Smithtown, and 
on the south shore, and from the Hempstead plains and the Bush plains in 
various places. These specimens are deposited at the Society's rooms, and 
any person, by inspection, will readily determine their remarkable simi- 
larity. 

Climate. — The climate of Long Island is distinguished for its mildness 
and salubrity. These qualities become more apparent as the surface is 
opened by improvement to the circulation of air and the influence of the 
sun. Mr. Thompson states that the thermometer rarely falls to zero, or 
rises to ninety degrees of Fahrenheit. Its insular form, bathes the island 
perpetually in a marine atmosphere, which imparts a genial moisture, while, 
as I have remarked, the sea breezes mitigate the rigors of winter, and 
relieve the intense heat of summer. The influence of the Gulf stream I 
have already referred to, and I may add that this influence is augmented 
by the marked prevalence of southerly winds. The frost penetrates the 
earth only in a slight degree, and the surface is seldom covered by snow 
more than a few weeks in the season. 

I found it to be the general impression with intelligent men, that the 
farmers of Long Island enjoy, on account of the mild temperature of the 
climate, an average of about forty working days in the year, more than 
those above the Highlands. This is a fact of great significance, in esti- 
mating the value of these lands for agricultural purposes. 

It seems to be admitted that the island rarely suffers from drouth. The 
sea air, always charged with moisture, constantly refreshes vegetation. 
The Rev. Mr. Johnson spoke of the extraordinary dews which charac- 
terize the island, and which, he remarked, are not unfrequently so heavy 



that the moisture they precipitate falls in drops from the eaves of the 
buildings. The celebrated Cobbett adverts to this exemption of the island 
from the prevalence of drouths, and observes : " I can truly say, as to the 
article of water, I was never situated to please me so well in my life before. 
The rains come in about once in fifteen days. They come in abundance 
about twenty-four hours ; then all is fair and all is dry again immediately." 

In the last sentence, he alludes to a singular feature of the Long Island 
soil. The inhabitants are seldom aflBicted by mud. The thorough system 
of drainage which nature has provided in the under-stratum of gravel, 
carries off the surface water with great rapidity, and leaves the earth dry 
and pleasant. 

Water. — The water arrangement on Long Island, is marked by the 
same dissimilarity to other districts which is so conspicuous in every trait 
of its physical formation. Although the ridge is the natural water shed of 
the Island, few streams flow on the south side, directly from it. The 
streams generally start four or five miles from the ocean, sometimes burst- 
ing from a single fountain in pure and bright water, and at others gather- 
ing in almost stagnant pools. They uniformly, I believe, flow over beds 
of clear white pebbles, and never have bottoms of slimy, deep mud, which 
is usually so prevalent in flat countries. Most of the farms are supplied 
by wells, which are often of great depth. The water on the Island is sweet 
and sparkling, and commonly soft. On Fire Island, and other islands 
ofiF the coast, of a sandy formation, wells dug in the sand at the margin of 
the sea, afford agreeable fresh water, and the cattle depasturing on these 
islands supply themselves with drink by pawing holes in the sand. 

Stock are frequently furnished with water by excavations on the sur- 
face known in the region as " watering holes." They are a few feet deep, 
and nature appears to sometimes provide them, but they are more fre- 
quently contracted by puddling the soil. It is a singular fact and perfectly 
illustrative of the purity both of the water and atmosphere, that the water 
stands in these excavations throughout the summer, retaining a pure and 
limpid condition without taint or putrescence. A few swamps or marks 
appear on the plains, but they are limited in size and generally occur at 
the head springs of the streams. 

I have thus presented a hasty outline of the physical features and char- 
acteristics which distinguish the entire Island. This sketch seemed to be 
necessary for a just and intelligent understanding of the qualities and pe- 
culiarities of those sections which I propose particularly to discuss. 

The Hempstead Plain. — We enter upon this tract in a progress from 
Brooklyn, soon after leaving the highly cultivated region in the vicinity cf 
that city. These plains reveal one of the most remarkable exhibitions of 
nature in the Eastern States. Formerly they embraced in an open area, 
about 17,000 acres. The quantity is now reduced to about 12,000 acres. 
Unoccupied, uncultivated, without enclosures, they present to the eye a 
wide expanse, clothed in rich and beautiful verdure. This vast surface is 
almost perfectly level, interrupted by slight undulations, and stretching 



8 

from the ridge towards the ocean, by a declination so gradual as to be 
imperceptible. Scarcely a bush or tree interrupts the view. Nature 
formed it a broad, upland meadow. Its appearance recalls at once the 
memory of a Western prairie, and the herds of cattle ranging over it, 
which fancy may readily conceive to be the Buffalo, do not lessen the 
similitude. These plains are, however, destitute of one embellishment, 
which communicates to the prairie such exceeding loveliness. The bril- 
liant flowers which at the west spread a gorgeous garniture over the earth 
and adds so much to the beauty of the scene, is wanting here. This cir- 
cumstance is probably owing to the severe and continuous cropping for ages 
of the Hempstead Plains. These plains existed at the first settlement of 
the Island. They attracted the attention and excited the admiration of 
the emigrant. Travelers visited them at an early day, and referred to 
them as among the wonders revealed in the new world. The prairies of 
the "West were then unknown to civilized man. By what agency these 
plains were produced, with their peculiar features, whether by man or acci- 
dent, or the caprices of nature, was then, as at this day, a problem that 
cannot satisfactorily be determined. Some impute them to peculiarities of 
soil ; others to different natural causes, and another class, with a more 
practical view, refer their existence to fires, continued for ages by the 
Aborigines, with the purpose of securing early grazing for the deer which 
thronged the Island. When the causes which created the prairies of Illi- 
nois, are revealed, we may look for a solution of this question. All the 
knowledge we can now attain is, that the grass plain exists — a phenomenon 
of nature and a miracle of beauty. 

These plains are mantled by a rich and heavy growth of grass, which 
affords pasturage for large numbers of cattle. They were appropriated, 
and with great convenience and utility, by the settlers at a remote period, 
for this purpose, and the practice is still continued. They also afforded a 
valuable resort for procuring hay. Denton, in his account of New York, 
thus describes them in 1670 : " Toward the middle of Long Island lyeth 
a plain, sixteen miles long and four broad, upon which plain grows very 
fine grass, that makes excellent good hay, and is very good pasture for 
sheep and other cattle ; where you shall find neither stick nor stone to 
hinder the horses' heels or endanger them in their races." 

Mr. Harold, in a valuable paper he kindly prepared for my use, states 
that " grass formerly grew on these plains five and six feet high, and is now 
occasionally found on neglected headlands higher than a four rail fence. 
The earliest grass (Secretary grass), a short and very fine grass, is much 
relished by sheep and cattle." The nutritious properties of the herbage 
growing upon the plains is apparent from the appearance and condition of 
the cattle which roam upon them. 

The turf which covers these plains, by its toughness and tenacity, as- 
similates to the sward of the western prairies. Two yokes of cattle, or a 
team of three horses are required to break it up. An immense quantity 
of vegetable matter, convertible into rich manure must be contained in a 
turf possessing a volume like this. 



9 

The geological features of the Hempstead plains disclose a remarkable 
analogy to those of every part of the Island that I was able to explore. 
Mr. Harold thus describes the soil: "The level portions of the plain has 
generally a good soil, the top being from six to eighteen inches of vegeta- 
ble mould, with a subsoil of loam varying from one to four feet in depth, 
underlaid in most places by a coarse gravel." The superficial soil is com- 
bined with a black humus, which must impart to it great fertility. The 
theory of som(^ intelligent persons is, that this humus may be the deposit 
from the subsidence of a lake which they suppose covered these plains. I 
conjecture, however, that it is formed by the decomposition which the mas- 
sive turf must be constantly undergoing. That streams of water have 
flowed along these plains is very apparent, but whether they were rivulets 
of fresh water such as now exist, or inlets of the sea, which at a remote 
period existed, cannot now be decided. The "dry rivers," as they are 
called, are peculiar features which prevail extensively on the Island, and 
are particularly distinct on the open plains. In Hempstead they are com- 
monly used for the track of roads. They exhibit the meandering course 
and high banks common to all streams, and have hard bottoms and a thin 
soil. Common marine shells abound in these "dry rivers." Another 
striking peculiarity of these plains is the circumstance of streams gushing 
out on the surface in a full volume from their fountains. These streams 
are of considerable size, and afford water sufficiently soft for domestic pur- 
poses. Nearly all the mill-streams of the district are formed by these rivu- 
lets. Although the plains are not affected generally by dampness, the 
earth in the vicinity of these head springs is so saturated, without however 
exhibiting any appearance of a springy or swampy character, that water 
rapidly collects and remains in excavations dug on the surface. The terri- 
tory known as the Hempstead plains formerly included a much more extended 
area than it now embraces. It was owned in common by the original town of 
Hempstead, and spread nearly from the base of the ridge to the village of 
Hempstead, and from Brushville, now Queens, to the Bush plains on the east. 
This town was divided in 1784 by a line running near the track of the Long 
Island railroad, into North Hempstead and what is now Hempstead. The 
policy of the two towns in regard to their common lands has been widely 
different. "While Hempstead, by its popular vote, has persistently refused 
to sell that part of the common which lies within its boundaries ; North 
Hempstead at an early day disposed of the portion which belonged to that 
town. Although such sales were made at very inadequate prices, the bene- 
fit to the town has been incalculable, by the increase of its cultivated area 
and the addition to its positive wealth and resources. It is not my pro- 
vince nor purpose to animadvert upon the course of the town of Hempstead, 
in respect to this policy, but I may remark, that an impressive practical 
commentary is presented on the subject in the aspect of fine and productive 
farms on the North Hempstead side of the plain, contrasted with the wild and 
uncultivated waste, only occupied by scattered herds of cattle, on the Hemp- 
stead common. The sale of this vast domain, at a just valuation, might create 
2 



10 

a public fund, which, appropriately secured, would relieve the town from an 
immense burden in its taxation ; or its proceeds, invested for educational or 
beneficent objects, would diffuse unmeasured blessings among the people. 

Mr. Johnson remarked to me that he recollected when the whole district 
from Brushville to the present Hicksville, a distance of about twelve miles, 
was an open common, but which now embraces some of the best grass 
farms in Queens county. Occasionally the plains are penetrated from the 
sides by farms which show long cultivation, and date their occupation, by 
some squatter or pre-emptive rights, to a period anterior to the Revolution. 
These are generally valuable tracts. The original extent of the common 
lands has also been much reduced by modern encroachments of those who 
occupy contiguous lands. Farms which formerly contained fifty and sixty 
acres have grown by this proces^s ustil now many of them contain from one 
to two hundred acres. 

It will be recollected that Cobbett occupied a farm on the north borders 
of Hempstead plains. The first year, he states, he had no manure except 
four hundred bushels he swept together, on the land, by means of a broom. 
He applied to the land sixty bushels of this quality of manure to the acre, 
for a crop of ruta baga, and realized that season, a harvest of six hundred 
and forty bushels of the ruta baga to the acre. After referring to these re- 
sults, to the caution ho received against deep plowing, and giving a des- 
cription of the soil, he uses this forcible language : " and yet people are 
flocking to the western countries in pursuit of rich land, while thousands 
of acres of such land as I occupy are lying waste on Long Island, within 
three hours' drive of the all-consuming and incessantly increasing city of 
New York." 

The Bush Plains. — Proceeding east from the Hempstead plains, we 
enter near Farmingdale another territory, and as strange as is the aspect of 
the Hempstead prairie, this new scene is still more novel and impressive. This 
is the woodland or Bush plains of the island, and more familiarly designated 
the " Long Island barrens." The ground is chiefly occupied for a number 
of miles by a thick growth of low shrubby bushes, then succeeds a tract cover- 
ed by small oaks, pine, and a heavy burthen of what is here called scrub oaks, 
but it is not the tree generally known by that name. This shrub is ladened 
by a copious crop of acorns, which formerly, it is said, attracted the bear as 
well as the deer to these wilds. The entire surface, through these plains, 
is clothed in a heavy mantle of rank and coarse vegetation. The primitive 
forests, which consisted mainly of oaks, chestnuts and pines, have long since 
disappeared, although their former presence is indicated here and there by 
decaying stumps. I was informed that these lands, when they escape the 
ravages of fire, yield from the timber that now occupies them, a product of 
fire-wood once in fifteen or twenty years. 

The strangeness and wild aspect of the scenery is beautiful and impres- 
sive, and the mind can scarcely comprehend the fact that such utter still- 
ness and seclusion and such an exhibition of nature, in more than its pri- 
meval rudeness, should occur within three hours' ride of the great metropo-^ 



11 

lis. Almost as far as the vision reaches, the eye rests only upon a sea of 
waving bushes. They are not sparse and open, as is the case usually on 
feeble sandy soils, but the growth is heavy, compact, and generally 
uniform. Occasionally, patches of trees of a larger growth appear, but 
there is mainly a singular uniformity of shrubs and bushes, interlaced with 
vines and matted by a coarse herbage. , 

This rude wilderness extends from Farmingdale to Eiverhead, a dis- 
tance of about forty-three miles, and from the base of the ridge on the 
north to a narrow belt of beautiful and richly cultivated country which 
borders the sea coast. The tract is from six to eight miles wide, from north to 
south. When the Long Island railroad was constructed, about twenty years 
ago, it penetrated an unbroken wilderness almost the entire length from 
Farmingdale to Riverhead, in which appeared no dwelling, no culture, and 
no evidences of civilization except an occasional path which traversed the 
island from north to south, connecting the two opposite shores. The surface 
of this immense plain is so nearly level, with only trifling undulations, 
that the eye can detect no declension. From the ridge to the ocean, there 
is a gradual but imperceptible descent. The small streams, which generally 
start four or five miles from the sea coast, in their early course crawl slug- 
gishly through the rank herbage which springs from their ooze, but in their 
progress they acquire more activity, until as they approach the ocean they 
become bright and sparkling brooks, with a current sufficient to propel 
machinery. These rivulets afford the choicest trout, and the plains furnish 
excellent sport in deer, smaller animals and fowl. Mr. Harold remarks in 
his memoranda, that the prairie hen (Tetrao eupido,) was formerly abun- 
dant, especially in the bushy plains, although believed to be nearly extinct; 
during the last year they have again appeared. The Hempstead plains are 
animate with the presence of numerous birds. Large flocks of the bunting 
(Emberiza savanna,) are found during the whole summer. The White Snow 
bird (Plectophanes nivalis,) fatten upon the ripened seeds in autumn. He 
mentions several varieties of the plover and duck, and I saw the lark 
(Alauda alpestris,) early in December, soaring with joyous wing from the 
open plains. 

Within a few years a new epoch seems to have opened upon the scene, 
and the footprints of progress have been impressed on these lands. The 
plains are now not entirely without improvement, as numerous sites have 
been subdued and occupied. Productive farms and highly cultivated gar- 
dens and orchards, are springing into existence and beam amid these wilds 
like oasis in the desert. Some of these improvements already compare 
favorably in culture and productiveness with the most fertile tracts on the 
island. Men who unite practical knowledge to wealth and science have 
entered on these wastes, and are exhibiting demonstrative evidence of the 
capabilities of this soil for high and remunerative culture. 

I have, in the preceding pages, attempted to present a rapid view of the 
existing aspect and condition of the territory which has so long, and with 
so much success, been denounced as "the barrens of Long Island." The 



12 

question naturally arises, why so extraordinary a state of things exist, 
and whether there is any fiat of nature that irrevocably condemns this vast 
tract to perpetual desolation and uselessness. Everything associated with 
the physical qualities of this beautiful island seems peculiar and striking, 
and unlike the characteristics of any other region. The existence of this 
uncultivated wilderness, is not the least singular and impressive of these 
phenomena. It is perhaps unnecessary to attempt an explanation of this 
strange circumstance. I may, however, offer one brief suggestion. At the 
first occupation of the island the settlers naturally clustered about the 
harbors and bays on the coast. Public roads, in consequence, were con- 
structed along or near the north and south shore. None penetrated this 
tract. This was inaccessible while other sections of the island presented 
greater attractions and were easily accessible. The inhabitants became 
attached to the delightful regions they cultivated. In the meanwhile fires 
desolated the plains, because they were not protected, as it appears the 
occupied' portions of the island were, by statutory regulations, from this 
danger. They were disregarded and neglected. Under these circumstan- 
ces the opinion was gradually formed, that they were not adapted for culti- 
vation. This idea was adopted without investigation, was strengthened by 
years, descended from father to son, until it has become incorporated in the 
popular mind as an established and incontrovertible fact. 

It is my design to briefly examine the accuracy and justice of these 
opinions and to exhibit a series of facts which will tend, I think, to illus- 
trate the subject. 

The Soil. — No term applied to land was ever more erroneously used 
than the designation of the plains of Long Island as " Sand barrens." 
Neither term is either true or appropriate. A traveler passing along the 
line of the Long Island railroad will be deceived as to the character of the 
soil. The under stratum of coarse gravel has necessarily been cast up in 
the construction of the road, and this the casual observer will naturally 
suppose to be the soil of the country. I examined, with much care, various 
localities on the plains, and found everywhere a remarkable identity in 
the structure and qualities of the earth and a great similarity to that which 
occurs at Flatbush and Brooklyn. There prevails the same superficial 
loam, from one to three feet deep, then succeeds small gravel mingled with 
the loam, which rests upon the uniform foundation of coarse and rounded 
gravel. Clay is everywhere, on the plains, the predominant ingredient of 
the soil. I collected specimens in various spots, and for convenience 
moulded them into balls. When these had become hard, I could not sepa- 
rate the particles with my fingers, but was obliged to use a hammer for the 
purpose. The balls had acquired the consistency of a brick. I was 
shown by Doctor Peck, houses at North Islip, which had been constructed 
of sun dried brick, made from the soil in the immediate vicinity. The 
holes from which the earth had been taken for the purposes were pointed 
out to me. The excavations were on the loam or surface soil. 

Mr. Harold informed me that walls were erected from the clayey soil of 



13 

Hempstead plains with lime made from oyster shells. Sands possess none 
of these adhesive qualities, and no intelligent person, after the slight- 
est inspection would mistake the soil of the plains for sand, or would hesi- 
tate, even without the light of science, to pronounce it a clayey loam. It 
is nothing else, and the many square miles of plains which I explored 
possess this special quality, and exhibited, uniformly, a great preponde- 
rance of clay. 

The soil of the Bush plains is yellow, tinged a little with red. That of 
Hempstead plains is darker, owing in some degree to the humus it contains, 
hut essentially, I think, to the influence of air and heat, by which, on 
account of the absence of trees and bushes, it is more affected than the 
bush plains. I do not, of course, mean to assert, that there exists through 
the entire extent of this vast area, a perfect uniformity in the depth and 
qualities of the soil. No greater diversity, however, occurs than prevails in 
every equal extent of territory. There is exhibited on the plains, an 
occasional cropping out of the gravel stratum, and in places the loam has 
been washed off. Upon other level tracts, ravines contain the richest 
earth, but here, in conformity to the uniform dissimilitude to other dis- 
tricts, which prevails, the greatest thinness and barrenness of soil occurs 
in the depressions, while the best and heaviest land is found on the elevated 
parts of the plain. The loam presents a thicker stratum near the ridge, 
and it gradually loses this aspect as the plains approach the ocean. 
Ravines running north and south traverse, at intervals, the plains, and 
these, uniformly, have the lightest and thinnest soil. 

In the fall of 1859, a long tract of land had been turned up in the con- 
struction of a road near North Islip station. I examined it with care and 
interest, and I never, any where, have seen a more beautiful development 
of soil. Mr. Bridger assured me, that from ample experiments, he con- 
sidered the second stratum, or the mixture of loam and gravel I have 
described, quite as productive as the superficial loam, and Mr. Harold 
informed me that they considered it at Hempstead, preferable for corn in a 
^' cold season. Dr. Peck and Mr. Johnson both stated that they esteemed 
(i this soil the most congenial to the peach tree. Wherever this stratum had 
been thrown up and exposed to the air and sun, I saw white clover growing 
upon it in perfect luxuriance. The fertility of this substratum may be 
imputed, I conjecture, to the fertilizing soils and other ingredients which 
it receives from the superficial soil. 

I cannot be mistaken, I think, in these views of the qualities and ingre- 
dients of this soil. I have not been able to subject it to analysis, but I 
am informed that specimens of it were submitted to the late distinguished 
Prof. Norton, who pronounced the soil deficient in no element of fertility, 
except a sufficient presence of lime and alkali. I learn, also, that Prof. 
Renwick, before the Institute, concurred in these views. Such is the 
judgment and voice of science on the subject. If the soil, by its elements, 
is adapted to cultivation, what possible other great and tangible impedi- 
ments exist to exclude this immense territory from the labors and interests 



14 

of Agriculture ? I will now proceed to present my own conclusions on 
this subject, in connection with notices of the objections which are urged 
against the culture of these plains. 

Is the soil adapted to cultivation ? The production, upon the plain 
lands, every fifteen or twenty years of a heavy burthen of firewood, and 
which sustains at the same time a massive growth of coarse herbage and 
under bushes, so thick as in places to be almost as impenetrable as a Mex- 
ican chapparal, would seem to conclusively attest the presence of a strong, 
as well as quick soil. Every opening on the plains reveals a vigorous 
growth of clover and other nutritious grasses, which spring spontaneously. 

The demonstration afforded by practical results furnish the strongest 
evidence on the subject, and I will present a few instances in the actual 
cultivation of these lands, from the mass of facts which I have collected 
to illustrate the capacity of this soil for tillage. The soil of Flatbush and 
the range of farms upon the south shore, which have been cultivated for 
two centuries, and during that period have been esteemed the garden of 
the State, and which are still distinguished for the exuberance and beauty 
of their crops, exhibit the same elements of soil as the plains, and have the 
same appearance, modified by culture and the application of manures. If 
the land in these districts is susceptible of this high culture, and are made 
equally productive with the choicest land in the State, we are justified in 
the conclusion that soil in other sections of the Island, possessing the same 
inherent qualities, may, by similar culture, be made alike valuable for 
agricultural purposes. If, as I confidently assume the fact to be, the soil 
of Hempstead and the Woodland plains has the same normal properties as 
that of the other localities referred to, there can exist no reason why they 
cannot receive the same productive improvement. 

We are not left, however, to mere conjecture and speculation on this 
question. Practical results accumulate abundant testimony to the capabili- 
ties of these lands for high and remunerative culture. The long succession 
of farms which have been carved from the plains in North Hempstead at a 
comparatively recent period reveal a high state of improvement. The lands 
near Hempstead village, which have been absorbed by the process of en- 
croachment I have mentioned, are now, lam assured, in as great fertility as 
the portions of the same farms which for generations have been cultivated. 
Mr. Harold informs me that records exist of harvests of winter wheat on 
plain lands of thirty-four bushels to the acre, weighing sixty-two pounds 
to the bushel, and from sixty to eighty bushels of shelled corn to the acre. 
I saw myself in December, 1859, specimens of spring wheat raised by Mr. 
Sammis on Hempstead plains, with an interval of only three and a half 
months between sowing and harvesting, which yielded twenty-three bushels 
to the acre. Mr. John A. Bedell received a premium from the Queens 
County Society, and in competition with some of the choicest farms on 
Long Island, for a crop of oats from one acre, two roods and eighteen rods, 
measuring seventy-eight and one-fourth bushels and weighing 36 pounds per 
bushel. This crop was also raised on plain land in the same year. It yielded 



15 

a net profit of $26.62. No extraordinary expenditure produced this result. 
The farm of the late Mr. Charles Wilson, at Deerpark upon the Bush 
plains, thirty-seven miles from Brooklyn, furnishes the strongest evidence 
of the capacity of these plains for agricultural purposes. My notes of a 
visit to this farm in the summer of 1857, contain the following comments : 
"Mr. Wilson commenced his operations in the heart of this waste about 
five years ago, and has at present about eighty acres under cultivation. 
His place is in the midst of and is enveloped by the woodland "barrens." 
His crops are now as beautiful and luxuriant as bask beneath any sun. 
He has an extensive grapery, flourishing young fruit trees, and a delightful 
garden. He pointed out to me a large and flourishing corn crop, standing 
upon ground which last February was covered by a dense mass of scrub 
oaks and rank herbage. These were cut off, the land plowed, the roots 
picked up and converted into a fence, which separates the field from the 
adjoining waste, now not more rude and desolate than was the flourishing 
field six months ago The original price of this entire property was $5.00 
per acre ; the expense of preparing this particular lot for tillage was about 
$15.00 per acre, and I saw many acres which will yield a profit beyond all 
disbursement, that will rhaike the land worth to him, as an investment, at 
least $200 per acre. The expense incurred, in clearing this corn-field, by 
Mr. Wilson was much heavier than is necessary, where economy is an 
object. This gentleman assured me that his application of manure to this 
land was not greater than equivalent of fifteen loads of barn-yard manure 
to the acre. He expressed the decided opinion, which was concurred in 
by others who had experimented on the subject, that the effect of manure 
was as favorable and enduring upon this soil as on any other." 

Two years later I saw this farm, and it afforded exhibition of continued 
improvement, in the hands of a son of the former proprietor. In the year 
1858 Mr. Wilson raised a crop of 3000 bushels of potatoes from ten acres 
of land, which he sold for $1,875. He expended per acre for manure $50.00 
and for cultivation $37.50, making an aggregate $875.00, and leaving a 
net profit of $1,000. The same lot yielded a heavy crop of wheat last sea- 
son, and now presents as beautiful a clover ley as ever excited a farmer's 
admiration. A piece of land, several miles east of Deerpark upon the 
plains, owned by Mr. S. Taylor, and embracing two and three-fourths acres, 
yielded, in 1858, seven tons of good hay, and a still heavier crop the last 
year. This land, I learn, had received no application of manure in the five 
preceding years. 

A highly eminent gentleman who resides on the Island a portion of each 
year, informs me that it is habitual for the occupants of the gardens and or- 
chards on the south shore, to transport the loam from the plains to replen- 
ish and fertilize their grounds. If this soil is worth transporting for such 
purposes, it can require no elaborate argument to prove its value for culti- 
vation. 

It is not necessary to pursue these illustrations. The facts I have ad- 
duced are sufiicient to establish the qualities of these lands. In objecting 



16 

to the evidences of these results, it is sometimes urged, that these crops were 
raised in peculiar and favored localities, which are exceptions to the general 
character of the soil. The error of this position will be most apparent to 
any one who will make the proper investigation. These localities will be 
found in no respect superior to the average of plain lands and precisely 
similar to the soil of the wilds, which is only separated from them by a 
simple fence. I will now briefly notice some of the objections which are 
advanced to the culture of these lands. I have already incidentally dis- 
cussed some of the most prominent. 

Objections to their Culture. — One of the most prevalent objec- 
tions which is often urged, rests on the idea that the porosity of this soil 
renders it too dry for cultivation and incapacitates it for the retention of 
manure. The instances I have already introduced, such as the heavy crop 
of grass upon the land of Mr. Taylor, with no application of any manure 
for the five preceding years, seems, by practical results, to disprove this 
theory. I have not space to discuss the question so much controverted, 
whether manure is wasted by evaporation or leaching, but will assert with- 
out hesitation, that a soil piade so adhesive by a preponderance of clay, as 
characterizes the plain lands, is in danger of being too compact rather 
than too open. A superficial soil of this kind, from twenty inches to three 
feet in depth, can scarcely suffer from porosity, and that it does not, is evi- 
dent from the heavy crops of grain and grass it yields, and the luxuriant 
growth of fruit trees on the improved spots, as well as the immense bur- 
then of forest trees and vegetation it bears in its native condition. I be- 
lieve that the under stratum of coarse gravel which must cause this porosi- 
ty, if it exists, has no greater effect upon the superficial soil than would 
be produced on any earth by a thorough system of under-draining. It is 
this agency that carries off the surface water and renders the soil dry and 
warm. That the influence of this formation is useful and its effects similar 
to that of under-draining, appears from the fact mentioned by Mr. Bridger, 
that on removing the earth with a hoe, in the dryest weather, he always 
found moisture beneath. He stated that his crops never suffered from the 
drought. This moisture is doubtless the effect of capilliary attraction, 
which, it is contended, is an agency that causes one of the peculiar benefits 
secured by under-drainage. 

Sourness. — There is, I believe, little difference of opinion in reference 
to the fact, that the bush plains are affected by an innate acidity which im- 
parts a certain degree of coldness and infertility to the land in its natural 
state. It is not greater, however, than might exist in any earths which 
have been shrouded for ages from the influence of the sun and air, by a 
heavy foliage, where leaves accumulate in deposit on the surface and are 
in various processes of decomposition. The application of alkalis, or 
quickening manures and the effect of cultivation alone, rapidly relieve the 
soil from this property. When it is turned up to the action of the sun and 
feels the influence of the elements, this acidity soon disappears. This re- 
sult is apparent from the circumstance, of which I am amply assured, that 



17 

these plain lands improve constantly in their fertility under cultivation, 
even when no manures are applied. 

Frostiness. — The alleged tendency to be affected by frosts, is another 
objection urged against the cultivation of the plain lands. It seems im- 
possible to my mind in the nature of things, that any district of an Island, 
in the position of Long Island, and so remarkable for its mild tempera- 
ture, should necessarily be exposed to this great evil. If frosts do at 
present prevail on these plains, the fact may be referred to philosophical 
causes, which the progress of improvement will remove. Here is a vast 
area covered by a thick matting of trees, bushes and impervious herbage. 
The winds do not circulate through this canopy ; the earth beneath it is 
always damp — an immense excess of evaporation takes place from these 
combined causes, and the soil has never been penetrated or warmed by the 
genial rays of the sun. Gentlemen remarked to me, that when riding 
through the plains in the evening they could perceive a difference of sev- 
eral degrees decrease in the temperature among the bushes and that of the 
atmosphere which enveloped the clearings. When this vegetation is re- 
moved from the surface and the earth is dried and warmed by the action of 
the air and heat, no difficulty of this kind, I am confident, will exist. 

The expense op clearing. — The heavy expense which, by the com- 
mon practice has been incurred, in preparing the lands of the bush plains 
for tillage, has been a serious obstacle to their occupation by men of ordi- 
nary means. The peculiar advantages of position and the great value of 
these lands when subdued, will probably justify these disbursements when 
the occupant possesses capital which he can conveniently appropriate to 
the purpose. The soil is thus brought into immediate cultui;e and produc- 
tiveness, and one successful crop will generally return the expenditure. 
The method used upon these lands ordinarily is very unlike that pursued 
with other wild lands. The usual course elsewhere, is to cut the heavy 
timber, to clear off, pile and burn the under-brush and rubbish ; to seed 
down with a crop dragged in on the fallow, and leave the roots and stumps 
to decay through the processes of Nature. When this is accomplished, 
the plow is successfully introduced. There is delay in this system, not 
perhaps conformable to the designs and interests of the proprietors of the 
plain lands, but by it great economy is secured. No owner of wild land in 
other sections of the country, would dream of preparing his soil for culti- 
vation by a preparatory grubbing by manual labor ; yet, under existing 
circumstances, this method on these plains, has undoubtedly its advantages. 

I have carefully collected information in reference to the various plans 
pursued in these operations, and will briefly present the result of my en- 
quiries. Mr. Bridges has favored me with a very intelligent account of the 
methods he has used in subduing his own lands. I can merely introduce an ab- 
stract of his paper. He states that he has tried three methods : 1st. G-rubbing 
all over by hand, taking out everything, stumps and bushes. 2d. What we call 
stumping, which is to go over the land cutting the stumps 6 or 8 inches below 

3 



18 

the surface, then plowing with two horses and dragging." 3d. " Plow with a 
horse and yoke of oxen and heavy plow, then follow with a drag, collect 
the roots and burn them." In each of these methods I infer the bushes 
are to be cut and burnt or removed. The first course, he thinks, should 
only be adopted on a small scale, as the process is slow and expensive. 
The second is effective, but also requires much more disbursement than the 
last. The plowing in the third method may easily be performed by a span 
of horses and one yoke of oxen. Mr. Wilson, in a careful account, made 
the expense of grubbing his lands, and the work seemed to be admirably 
executed, at $15 per acre. Mr. Bridget calculates it at a much higher rate. 
It is very manifest that these lands should be cleared at an expenditure 
much reduced below these figures. 

Dr. Peck, who has had long and familiar practical acquaintance with 
the management of these lands, both in their rude and cultivated state, 
proposes several methods which he has himself pursued, and which, if 
practicable, reduces the process of clearing to a very simple and economi- 
cal operation. It is proper to remark in connection with this subject, that 
the wide spreading and massy roots of large trees which usually occur on 
other new lands and so inconveniently impede the plow and drag, do not 
now exist on these plains. The large roots of the oaks, which do not how- 
ever, attain a great size, are chiefly tap roots, penetrating the ground ver- 
tically, and not widely extending over the surface. The roots of the shrub 
oaks and bushes, are soft and porous, readily severed by a sharp coulter, 
and rapidly decay m the earth when their vitality is destroyed. Another 
great facility to the plowing of these lands, even while filled with roots, is 
the absence of all rocks and stones. These facts afford the basis of the 
system recommended by Dr. Peck. One of the plans he suggests, is to 
cut down the under-brush by a heavy scythe or bush hook after the timber 
is removed ; burn this with all the rubbish upon the surface. When the 
ground is cleared of these impediments, enter on it with a stout, heavy 
plow, prepared with a sharp steel coulter, and a cutter attached to the point 
and drawn by two yoke of cattle. With this force, he thinks everything 
can be plowed up and turned under, except the few larger stumps, and 
these he would leave for time to effect their decomposition. This course 
would bring the land into immediate cultivation, but of course not into 
the beautiful condition careful grubbing would accomplish. 

Another method Dr. Peck proposes is still more economical, but more 
tardy in its results. Here he would simply cut and burn the underbrush, 
remove the rubbish, and drag in a crop of rye with clover and timothy 
seed. The bushes and the grain and grass will start together in the spring, 
but the rye will ultimately attain the ascendancy. He cuts the rye at 
harvest with a short straw. The crop will be small, but aids in remunera- 
ting the labor. In August he cuts closely the young sprouts, which are as 
tender at that season as corn stalks, with the grass. The mass affords 
good coarse sheep fodder. Repeat for two or three years the operation, 
cutting the bushes two or three times each season, when they will be 



19 

entirely destroyed. The roots will have, to a great extent, decomposed in 
the earth, and in the process have imparted, he thinks a fertilizing element 
to the soil equivalent to fifteen or twenty loads of barn-yard manure. Dr. 
Peck objects to the grubbing system, for the reason that by the removing 
of the roots, it deprives the soil of this great fertilizing principle. I have 
no doubt but that a vast aggregate of vegetable matter may, by deep plow- 
ing, without grubbing, be incorporated with the soil. I do not merely 
embrace in this idea the spongy roots referred to, but the leaves and the 
coarse vegetation which shroud the surface by a net work of its infinitude 
of roots, fibers, and tissues. To what extent these materials would be 
disturbed by the harrow, and clog its operations, I have no practical know- 
ledge ; but I conjecture that the collecting and burning of those which 
should be brought to the surface, would not be attended with much expense. 
The earth on the third or fourth year, in the second method advised by 
Dr. Peck, would be ready for plowing. The large stumps will then be 
torn up by the plow without difl&culty. He thinks that seven or eight dol- 
lars will cover the disbursement of clearing the land by either system. The 
burning over the whole surface is in one aspect objectionable. The accu- 
mulation of vegetable matter, and the humus on the soil, will be consumed 
by the process. Although the ashes will be valuable, the ingredients them- 
selves are far more so. I should prefer, I think, piling the bushes and 
rubbish in as narrow and high heaps as possible for burning. 

In my judgment, when the land is not designed for immediate cultiva- 
tion, sheep would be found the most efi"ective and economical agents for 
preparing the soil for tillage. The course to be pursued in this system 
would be to cut oiF the trees and large bushes, pile and burn the refuse 
material, and enclose a field, its size being determined by the number of 
sheep, by a secure fence. Turn into this enclosure the flock of sheep, in 
early spring, when the young sprouts begin to start, and the coarse grasses 
are tender and juicy. Sheep delight in this kind of pasture. They feed 
with avidity upon these grasses at that time, and will totally suppress the 
growth of all bushes and briars. In the second year the surface of the 
land wi41 be cleared and subdued ; and while this process is in progress, 
the roots and stumps will have essentially decayed. In addition to these 
benefits to the land, the sheep will impart a positive and great fertility to 
the soil, which will be equal in its effects, to the application of a large 
amount of manure. Their excrement must also exert a powerful effect in 
freeing the soil from its inherent acidity and inertness. The entire surface 
of the land will, in two years, be mantled by a rich and verdant covering 
of clover. When I suggested this mode of reclaiming these lands, I was 
met by the objection that on the Island sheep cannot be protected from the 
ravages of dogs. In my journeying on the Island, I noticed only one flock 
of this valuable animal, and their absence was imputed to this cause. The 
enforcement of existing statutes, or of more stringent laws, if required, 
might certainly remove this impediment to the fostering of a most import- 
ant branch of stock husbandry. 



20 

Cultivation. — The method by which the most judicious and appropri- 
ate culture may be applied to these lands, is a question of the greatest 
practical importance. The fact, I think, is established, that they possess 
most of the essential inherent properties necessary to successful tillage. 
They are of sufficient natural fertility ; they are warm, genial and perfectly 
underdrained. The abundant crops they yield, afford the most conclusive 
attestation of the correctness of this opinion. It is undoubtedly true that 
they require, or like most other lands are greatly benefited by the appli- 
cation of manures ; but it is not true that an excessive quantity is neces- 
sary to render them productive, or that the effect of manure ^is not endu- 
ring. Land which, for a series of years, will yield an unusually large 
burden of hay, without the use of stimulating ingredients, must be esteemed 
congenial to grass. Soil which returns an abundant crop from the mode- 
rate application of manure, as was illustrated in the corn and potato crops 
on Mr. Wilson's farm, will amply remunerate a large disbursement for that 
purpose. I saw a heavy corn stubble in the autumn of 1859, on the land 
of Mr. Bridger, which indicated a most vigorous crop, that he assured me 
was raised with no other manure than a little poudrette in the hills. The 
fact is not controverted that the plain land, when first cultivated, requires 
a small application of manure to correct its natural sourness and inertness, 
and to stimulate it into activity. The soil feels the influence, and amply 
returns the expenditure. The remarkable crops I saw upon the plains 
were, in no instance, secured by an extravagant outlay for fertilizers, and 
no greater than every provident farmer would desire to effect a remunera- 
tive result to his labors. Fifteen loads of barn-yard manure to the acre, 
seems to be regarded as an abundant application. 

The clover culture I regard to be the instrumentality which is calculated 
the most certainly to advance the agricultural prosperity of this territory. 
The soil is adapted to it; and the mild climate, frequent rains, and moist 
atmosphere, will always maintain the crop in a vigorous and thriving con- 
dition. I have seen nowhere, more beautiful and prosperous clover crops 
than I met with on these plains. The same natural causes will cherish the 
culture of other grasses. Gentlemen assured me that the wild grasses on 
Hempstead Plains, are as enduring as any other grasses, and retained, 
throughout the summer, their freshness and nutrition. 

A rotation of crops, based on the clover culture, is, I have no doubt, 
the most certain system by which the permanent improvement of the soil 
may be effected. The exemption of the land from stones and large stumps, 
the ease with which it can be tilled, the mildness of the climate, and the 
additional time this circumstance affords for labor, are all highly important 
inducements for the cultivation of these lands, and should be considered in 
deciding upon a system of tillage. I am confident that their successful 
cultivation does not necessarily demand any extraordinary investment of 
capital or extravagant disbursement for fertilizers, but that this result may 
be attained by common means, guided by a judicious and intelligent 
husbandry. 



21 

Dr. Peck, Mr. Bridger and other gentlemen, have supplied me with much 
valuable information in reference to the practical management of these 
lands, which seems to be combined in the following conclusions. Rye or 
buckwheat, in a fair yield, can be relied on upon the new land without 
manure. Mr. Bridger remarks : "sow with buckwheat, with a dressing 
of one hundred and twenty-five pounds of Peruvian guano, or twenty 
bushels of shell lime, or ten to twenty bushels of bone chips ; plow the 
crop under ; sow again, if practicable, with buckwheat if not with rye ; 
seed with clover, plow under one good sward of that, and you are all right." 
" Corn, potatoes, or indeed any crop may be obtained by using three or 
four hundred pounds of Peruvian Gruano, at three cents per lb., or five 
hundred pounds fish guano, at one and a half cents, or fifteen thousand 
fish, at $1 per M. To produce hoed crops successfully, some stimulating 
manure is necessary. The best I have tried is, first, barn-yard manure ; 
next, bone dust, lime, salt and ashes mixed together, are good ; gypsum 
also succeeds, although science may condemn it in a marine atmosphere. 
Clover, however, will be the great agency in bringing the land into good 
condition, and that can be produced here equal to any section of the 
country. 

Gardens and Orchards. — The course of discussion which I have pur- 
sued has led me to examine the plains in reference chiefly to their capabili- 
ties for agricultural purposes. A still more desirable and lucrative occu- 
pation of this land, will be found in its appropriation for gardens, orchards, 
and the smaller fruits. A warm and quick soil, a genial climate and moist 
atmosphere, combine to eminently adapt Long Island to these pursuits. 
The plains are no exception to this remark. Two years ago I visited a 
peach orchard in the vicinity of North Islip Station, then just planted. 
In the season of 1858, it yielded an abundant harvest of the choicest fruit, 
and the orchard now exhibits a healthy and vigorous growth that can no- 
where be excelled. Numerous other experiments with the peach, pear, 
cherry, apple and plum, have met with equally successful results. I saw 
young apple trees on the grounds of Mr. Bridger which bore the second 
year from the nursery. These, and trees of other fruits, disclosed a heavy 
growth of twenty inches to three feet, last season. 

The blackberry, raspberry, and other small fruits, flourish on this soil in 
a vigorous and luxuriant growth. The strawberry is equally prolific and 
succsssful. The culture of the low or swamp cranberry, is a novel but 
highly interesting feature in the horticultural industry of the Island. The 
experiment of Mr. Young and its eminent success, has attracted much 
attention to this subject, and there is every indication that this culture will 
be widely extended and become a lucrative pursuit. The ground occupied 
by Mr. Young for this purpose, is at Lakeland, in the central part of the 
Bush plains. The cranberries he cultivates, are procured with trifling ex- 
pense along the margins of the swamps in the vicinity where they grow 
spontaneously, and in great profusion. He planted in the year 1856, about 
one-third of an acre of plain land to the cranberry, and in the autumn of 



22 

1859, he received from the American Institute, a premium on about twenty- 
four bushels of beautiful fruit picked from these vines. He has other 
pieces of the cranberry quite as promising as this, under cultivation. Mr. 
Young, in his statement to the Institute, says, as the results of his experi- 
ence, that " the cranberries will grow and do well, although the vines be 
taken directly from the swamps ; that they will grow on new land and im- 
mediately on its being broken up ; without manure ; without a wet sub- 
soil ; without artificial irrigation ; with but a moderate amount of labor ; 
producing a good sized, deep colored, well matured and high flavored berry, 
and that in dollars and cents, the returns are sufficient to induce many to 
follow the example set before them." 

I regret that the limits of this paper will not permit me to explain the 
method pursued in the cultivation of this valuable plant, or to urge the va- 
rious reasons which suggest themselves for an extended appropriation of 
these lands to the object. I found a number of individuals preparing with 
much zeal, to embark in the business the next year. 

Numerous gardens are scattered near the line of the Railroad through 
the whole length of the Bush plains. Fragrant with flowers and exhibit- 
ing a growth of vegetables of great size and rare excellence, they are emi- 
nently suggestive of the results which may be attained when horticulture 
shall receive the attention and enlarged operations its great importance 
will warrant. The beautiful grounds and decided success of the efforts of 
Mr. Ranney and Mrs. Landon, near Thompson's Station, and of various 
other individuals in different localities, enforce this conviction. 

The gardens of the Messrs. Van Sicklen, south of the Railroad in Ja- 
maica, illustrate the great profit of this occupation in connection with these 
lands, when it is conducted on a liberal and capacious plan. These gen- 
tlemen occupy about one hundred and sixty acres of land, not superior in 
quality to the average of the plain lands, and which is chiefly devoted to 
the culture of vegetables and other garden products. They expend annu- 
ally $3,000 worth of manure, principally stable dung, and realize upon 
their grounds an average neat profit each year, of about $6,000, from the 
proceeds of the crops they produce. 

When improvement and cultivation shall have succeeded the rude wil- 
derness which now deforms these plains, the repose and seclusion, the de- 
lightful climate, the salubrious air, and the exceeding beauty which will 
then fascinate the eye, will allure to this region, the votary of Nature, and 
the men of business and wealth. A dwelling upon these plains will then 
gratify the taste, and secure all those pleasures and enjoyments which ren- 
der a rural life so attractive to the denizens of the city. A small freehold 
may now be purchased on this territory at a price which would scarcely se- 
cure a rocky knoll at the same distance from New York, on the banks of 
the Hudson. The region surrounding Lake Ronkomkama, a beautifully pic- 
turesque and romantic sheet of water, will afford the most delightful coun- 
try residence that wealth or taste can desire. 

A design of Mr. Stone, of Brooklyn, which I trust will be consummated 



23 

the ensuing spring, foreshadows a policy calculated to effect results of 
great public as well as private utility. The purpose is to form extensive 
manufacturing establishments upon this territory, and to confer on the 
operatives the privilege of purchasing small parcels of land, at moderate 
rates, for their own cultivation. Steam will always readily and cheaply 
supply the motive power to any extent, for such institutions. I can only 
thus glance at the scheme, but its importance to individuals and the im- 
mense augmentation of the business and wealth of the Island it would 
promote, must commend it to the earnest consideration of every intelligent 
mind. 

I have, in the preceding pages traced, with a rapid hand, the views I 
have embraced, after a careful examination of these plains in their various 
aspects, and all the reflection I have been able to give to the subject. In 
revolving the different topics I have discussed in my own mind, and com- 
paring these views with the opinions of intelligent and practical men who 
are familiar with the question, I can discern no cause to doubt the general 
justness and accuracy of my conclusions. 

Possibly, my judgment may be influenced by an undue enthusiasm, but 
my imagination, penetrating the vista of a few approaching years, per- 
ceives culture and beauty succeeding the desolation that now mars and dis- 
figures the scene and revolts the eye ; I see a vast champaign, unsurpassed 
in beauty and luxuriance, spreading over an area of sixty miles in length, 
adorned by the villa and cottage, redolent with the golden harvest, embel- 
lished by gardens and orchards, teeming with flocks and herds, and ani- 
mated by the clangor of machinery and the pulsations of industry. When 
this fancy shall, as it must, have acquired the tangible form of the actuality, 
there will be revealed in this territory to the delighted vision, a scene of 
beauty, of rural wealth and attractiveness, that will be surpassed in no 
section of our land. 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



014 109 920 6 # 



